1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automotive fan shroud, and more particularly to an automotive fan shroud that is integrally formed with automotive liquid reservoirs.
2. Background of the Invention
Automotive engines continually generate heat as they operate due to the combustion of fuel in the cylinders. A liquid coolant is circulated through the engine block by a pump in order to absorb and remove a portion of the heat from the engine block and maintain the engine temperature within a safe operating range. The radiator has a plurality of tubes configured to receive and circulate the heated liquid. A flow of ambient air is drawn through the radiator by a fan so that the ambient air contacts the exterior surface of the liquid coolant-carrying tubes to remove some of the heat from the liquid coolant. The radiator tubes are spaced apart so that ambient air can flow through the spaces and across the tubes to cool the tubes. The liquid coolant is returned to the engine block as a partly cooled liquid. The fan is typically positioned in an automobile engine compartment adjacent the rear side of the automotive radiator, or heat exchanger. The effectiveness of the automotive fan to cause the air flow to pass over the radiator tubes is enhanced by use of a fan shroud, or housing, to draw the air flow through the radiator.
The vertical front and back surfaces of an automotive radiator are typically rectangular in shape, while the fan is round. The known fan shrouds for automotive fans accommodate this change in opening shape with a fan opening that is round so as to circumferentially surround the fan and a radiator opening that is rectangular to match the shape of the radiator. There are four corner segments situated radially beyond the periphery of the fan and within the rectangular shape of the radiator that are substantially triangular in shape. In the known fan shroud configurations, these triangular corner segments are essentially space that is empty, but could hold another component of the engine compartment.
Modem automotive engine compartments are getting more crowded as the car's or truck's transmission and drive components are placed in close proximity to the front wheels and as more luxury features and air pollution control equipment are added. As used herein, the term automotive encompasses passenger cars, trucks, and buses. Space within the engine compartment is at a premium. Thus, the unused space of the triangular corner segments of the known fan shrouds is wasted space.
Contemporary automotive fan shrouds are typically formed of plastics resin. Other engine compartment components that are also typically formed of plastics resin are liquid reservoirs, for example reservoirs used to contain engine coolant and windshield washer liquid. Known engine coolant reservoirs, also known as degassing chambers, have been formed with internal baffles to subdivide the reservoir into small cells to minimize liquid agitation and foaming. Assembly of the fan shroud into the engine compartment involves labor. Assembly of the liquid reservoirs into the engine compartment involves additional labor.
The present invention recognizes that combining the liquid reservoirs with the fan shroud would conserve both engine compartment space and assembly labor.
The concept of combining a fan shroud with liquid reservoirs is known. The prior known fan shroud and liquid reservoir combination unit is formed by a process known in the trade as blow molding. A known blow molded fan shroud and liquid reservoir combination is supplied by the McCord Winn Division of Textron Automotive Company of Madison Heights, Mich. Inherent limitations in blow molding make the process of producing a fan shroud having integral liquid reservoirs labor intensive, therefore comparatively expensive. In addition, the finished automotive fan shroud lacks the internal baffles in the engine coolant reservoir, also due to process limitations.
When the automobile is assembled, the fan shroud surrounds the fan and substantially fills the space between the engine block and the radiator. If a problem should arise in the fan, the radiator, the water pump, or other engine components in the area of the fan shroud, access by a mechanic is impeded by the fan shroud. However, removal of the fan shroud is a tedious process, frequently requiring the removal of other components in the vicinity of the fan shroud. It is thus recognized that provision of a fan shroud formed as a split ring would simplify servicing of the assembled engine.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fan shroud combined with a liquid reservoir that includes internal baffles.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fan shroud combined with plural liquid reservoirs, at least one of which includes internal baffles.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a fan shroud combined with plural liquid reservoirs by a manufacturing process which minimizes labor and cost.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a fan shroud formed of multiple parts so as to be installed and removed segmentally.
These and additional objects of the present invention will become more fully understood from the following description and claims.